stillians



(No Model.)

0. W. STILLIANS.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

/NVENTO/? A TTOHNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. STILLIANS, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAAC FREUND, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 481,076, dated August 16, 1892.

Appli ati n fi November 11 1891. Serial No. $11,588. (N model.)

To aZZ w/tom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES \VESLEY STILLIANS, of Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates more especially to couplings for freight-cars; and the object of the invention is to provide a strong and dura- IO ble coupling which may be operated and controlled without danger of accident to the trainhands and in which further provision is made for elevating or lowering the coupling-link to suit opposing cars and adapt it to the differcut heights of the draw-heads of such opposing cars.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isa side view of a part of a freightcar provided with my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation thereof, the link being in section. Fig. 3is abottom plan view of the draw-head only, having my im- 0 provements. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan view. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the winding-drum and its appurte- 3 5 nances.

The draw-head A of the coupling is formed hollow, as usual, and has a mouth or front opening a for the entrance of a coupling-link B, and at the lower wall of said mouth acen- 4o tral projection a may be formed for preventing lateral play of the link.

The coupling-hook C is pivoted in a recess a in the top of the draw-head by means of a bolt C, said recess communicating at its outer end with the interior of the draw-head, and the downwardly-extending end or hook proper o entering the draw-head to engage the link B. A plate-spring C is secured to the top of the draw-head by a screw 0 or otherwise and exerts a downward pressure on the hook C to normally project the same into the draw-head,

said spring passing beneath a bridge A on the draw-head, whereby the spring will strike the bridge when the hook C is raised, as hereinafter described, and relieve the strain on the securing-screw c.

On top of the hook O at its outer end an eye 0 is produced for the connection of one end of an operating-chain D, and said chain extends inward and upward to a connection with a winding-drum E, which is keyed on a shaft F, the latter having bearings in brackets and staples f, secured to the car-body.

Suitable pawls and ratchets G G are provided for retaining the shaft in any desired position, and the shaft is operated to wind or unwind the chain D by a lever-arm F.

In order that the link B may be adapted to the draw-head of an approaching car regardless of the height of such draw-head, controlling devices are employed for such link. Thus in a vertical recess a in the bottom of the draw-head a book 11 is fitted and secured at its lower end to the cranked portion 2' of a rock-shaft I, the hook being forked at its lower end for the entrance of the shaft and provided with a bolt 72, for the holding of it in place. Any other connection may be adopted in practice. The rock-shaft I has bearings in straps I, secured to the under side of the draw-head, and at one end there is formed on or secured to such shaft an operating-arm 1 which extends upward along the side of the draw-head. To the outer end of the arm I a chain D is secured, its other end being secured to the drum E, heretofore mentioned, the winding of the chain on the drum serving to throw the arm I when desired.

The hook proper It extends forwardly over the position occupied by the inner end of a link B when the latter is in the draw-head, and when the shaft I is so rocked as to cause the hook H to move downward in the recess a its end 71 will bear down on the inner end of the link B, raising the outer end to the desired height or inclination to enter the opposing draw-head. When the hook H is raised, the outer end of the link B falls andwill thus enter a lower opposing draw-head.

In connection with the arm I of the rockshaft a spring J is employed for returning IOO the said arm and rock-shaft and the hook II to the normal position, said spring surrounding a rod J, which has a longitudinal movement in lugsj on a plate J which is secured to the side of the draw-head. One end of the rod J bears against the arm I and the arrangement is such that when the said arm is thrown to lower the hook II the rod J is moved longitudinally against the tension of the spring J, compressing the latter, the reaction of the spring returning the parts to the normal position.

In operation the link I; in one car is raised or lowered to adapt it to enter the approaching draw-head, and it strikes the hook C of the latter, raising the hook until it passes the hook proper c, whereupon the latter will be sprung into the lower normal position and thus couple the cars.

The hook C may be held in the raised position to prevent coupling by means of the drum E and chain D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a draw-head, ot' a coupling hook or arm, a normally-elevated verticallysliding link-tilter in rear of the link-engaging portion of the hook or arm, and mechanism for raising the coupling hook or arm and depressing the link-tilter, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a vertically-movable hook extending therein from the under side, its hook proper projecting forwardly over the position occupied by the ordinary couplinglink, a cranked rockshaft held to said hook at its ower end, and an arm for rocking said shaft, ubstantially as described.

In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of link-controlling devices comprising a hook fitted to slide verticallyin said draw-head, its hook proper lying normally within the draw-head over the position occupied by the usual link, a cranked rockshaft for operating said hook, an arm for rocking said shaft, and a spring for returning the said arm and connected devices to the normal position, substantially as described.

i. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of link-controlling devices consisting of a hook held to a cranked-rockshatt and fitted to slide vertically in the drawhead, its hook proper lying therein and extending forwardly over the position occupied by the usual cou1.)ling-link, an operating-arm on the rock-shaft, a sliding rod bearing at one end against said arm, a spring on said rod for holding it against the said arm, and a chain and winding-drum for throwing the arm, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of link-controlling devices comprising a vertically-sliding hook in the dra\v-l1ead,a roclcshaft to which said hook is connected, said shaft having an operatingarm, and a chain and winding-drum therefor, the chain being connected with the arm of the rock-shaft for throwing the same, substantially as described.

CHARLES XV. S'IILLIANS.

Witnesses:

J one A. KENNEDY, ISAAC FREUND. 

